Joey Logano owns up to wrecking Chris Buescher late in Stage 2: 'I made a mistake'

Blessed with an early wreck to get back on the lead lap after his pre-race NASCAR penalties, Joey Logano had a car that could win, but that ended in Stage 2. Just as the field was coming to the green and white checkered flag, Logano threw a late block on Chris Buescher.

Look, it’s racing. You want every position and spot you can get. At the end of the year, if you get eliminated from the playoffs by a point, moments like this could matter. Still, there is a time and place to pick your battles.

The wreck took Joey Logano out of the race. It hurt Buescher’s chances of winning. Oh, and Denny Hamlin managed to get involved in it somehow.

“I made a mistake,” Logano said to Bob Pockrass of FOX Sports after the race.

Then he went into a little more detail.

“Yeah, I made a mistake. Thought I could get in there, by the time I realized I couldn’t get there I tried turning it back down. Once he starts packing air on my right rear, I couldn’t turn down. Got tight, sucked me into the wall.”

Joey Logano led 27 laps before his wreck at the end of Stage 2. Logano said it was his mistake. pic.twitter.com/uJCC6rgGXb

— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) February 26, 2024

Joey Logano owned up to his mistake, but that doesn’t help Chris Buescher at all.

Chris Buescher ‘not real thrilled’ with Joey Logano

While Hamlin got involved in this one, it was Buescher who took the most damage. He had a car capable of winning this race and instead, he had to fight and claw his way to a P9 finish. That’s a tough night for a driver who likely felt like they could have been in Victory Lane.

Of course, NASCAR fans were treated to an epic five lap shootout. Ryan Blaney blocked every single move made by Kyle Busch and Daniel Suárez, until he didn’t. Then we got the three-wide finish for the ages.

Chris Buescher was not too pleased, though.

“We were up there on the top had been up there a handful of laps, was rolling good,” Buescher explained. “We were just there and there wasn’t space and ended up wiping us out. So, yeah it just, I guess it’s a judgment call when it’s close like that.

“I haven’t seen it back yet but from my understanding, it was coming from the bottom all the way across the other two lanes all the way to try to cover the top and it’s just a long way to go. Not real thrilled with that.”

Will we see Chris Buescher and Joey Logano have beef on the race track or is this a one off between the two drivers?